Boyhood Years
by Lady Jane Boleyn-Grey
Summary: Lucy Travers has known Tom Riddle since they were both sorted into Slytherin in first year. He is one of her closest friends...but there has always been something...not right about him... From their sixth year to later on, Lucy begins to learn the true nature of her best friend - and must decide between loyalty, and what's right.
1. Chapter -1-

**I'm so excited to finally post this story – its been an idea that's been floating around in my head for awhile, so I'm glad to finally be able to post it here for you guys. Hope you enjoy!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the Harry Potter franchise and its accolades. I do however own my OC and the storyline – any part of the storyline that is not part of the original works.**_

* * *

 **Chapter -1-**

 ** _Trains and Living Forever_**

 _1 September, 1942_

"I want to learn more of my heritage… its something that has always interest me. I've always felt… more significant than most."

Lucy Travers looked up from the book she was reading, a quizzical look on her face. Beside her, her friends Lyle Avery and Xavier Lestrange were wrestling over a piece of enchanted parchment – part of some silly game they were playing. Across from her, sat Tom. His dark eyes were staring at her with little interest but strong conviction, standing out against his pale skin. He didn't seem to be paying any mind to the wrestling boys, who disinterested him.

Lucy shrugged, placing a marker on her page. "You definitely are something else Tom. A very smart student, perhaps. Maybe you'll be Headboy next year."

Tom shook his head, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "No… that's not quite what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" She eyed him curiously, though for some reason, there was a pit growing in her stomach.

Something about one of her oldest friends had always been off… ever since the day she met him five/six years ago, during the sorting ceremony. Tom Riddle had been in the same house as she. As the rest of their friends. Slytherin – the only house they associated themselves with… the only house Tom would let them associate themselves with. Since their small band of Slytherins had formed in their first year, Tom had been the leader – dictating basically everything.

And they all idolized him. He was the smartest, best looking, most charming. He sat on his train seat alone. Their other friends had taken another compartment because there was no room on the one bench for five of them. Tom refused to ever let anyone sit right beside him on the train. He was basically their king – and asked to be called Lord Voldemort. An anagram he had made from his own name – something funny he had thought of, Lucy thought. He was his own person… but he was intimidating

Tom shook his head, a smirk curving the corners of his lips upwards. "Just forget about it… you'll know soon enough."

Lucy stared at him blankly. He always said things like that – things that made shivers run down her spine. She knew he probably meant no harm. It was just his character. But still… there was something about Tom Riddle that just wasn't right. She nodded in acceptance and picked up her book, her eyes moving down the page as quickly as her nerves would allow. She loved reading. It was one of her favourite and greatest pastimes – and she did it often.

"You've changed. Grown."

She looked up slowly. Tom was talking to her, but he was turned to look out the compartment window – the Scottish countryside rolling away into the dark. What the hell was he on about?

"Pardon?"

He finally looked at her, his eyes bright but his voice monotone. "You've changed. Grown," he repeated. "You look older… more… womanly. You're getting older."

Lucy let out a bitter laugh at that. "Were all growing, Tom. We're almost sixteen. I doubt I truly look like the girl you met when we were eleven. Six years have gone by. We've grown side-by-side. But there's always a summer to separate some changes. You look older too."

"I don't want to get older," her said simply, but for the first time in six years, Lucy heard a pang of fear in his tone. "Getting older means getting closer to dying. I don't want to- I _cant_ die."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, finally elbowing Lyle, so that the two would settle down. " _Everyone_ dies Tom. It's a part of life. No one can live forever."

At that, Tom pulled out his wand and flicked it at the enchanted paper that Xavier held triumphantly. The piece of paper went up in flames, the ashes falling into the crestfallen laps of the two boys, who looked at him reproachfully. "I can…" Tom said, more to himself than the rest. "Just wait and see."


	2. Chapter -2-

**Chapter -2-**

 ** _Family Trees_**

* * *

"I see we are all back from our summer holidays. Splendid! You must all be _very_ un-enthusiastic about returning to classes now that the year has started and the freedom is over."

The fifth year Slytherin and Ravenclaw students all looked up at Professor Dumbledore, their transfiguration teacher. His eyes were twinkling kindly as they always did, and he wore long sweeping robes of a fine dark-purple silk. His long silvery beard and hair hung down as he normally had it, his beard tied with little bells in the middle. He stood in front of his desk with an honest smile, not caring that half of his class didn't want to be back at school already.

"I went and vacationed in Majorca for a week with Davis McKnighty and Nicolas Flamel, old colleagues of mine. We had tea every day, and created fireworks for the muggles at night. Otherwise, I did lots of travelling, studying, and reading throughout the holidays. How about you, my students? How was your summer? _Hm_ … Mr. Llewelyn?"

The Ravenclaw boy looked up from his desk in surprise. No professor generally cared about what their students' had done throughout the two months of summer, so this was new. "Er… I went away to visit family in Ireland, Professor. My uncle Herbert _accidentally_ turned my younger brothers into field mice, and for six days, we had to chase them around to switch them back."

Dumbledore clapped his hands together and beamed. " _Ah yes_ , your uncle! _Herbert Llewelyn_! I remember him quite well. _Very_ good at transfiguration, which I see he hasn't lost the touch to!"

The Llewelyn boy slid down in his chair _slightly_ , trying to avoid the sniggers that were coming from the Slytherin side of the room.

"Miss Travers. Please, share with the class what you did for the holidays." Dumbledore gave Lucy a very kind smile over his half-moon spectacles.

Lucy felt her face get hot, embarrassed for being called on. _Why did he have to pick her?_ Tom nudged her to speak up. They always shared a desk – ever since their first year. He had tried to sit with everyone in their small band, but had found all of them loud and obnoxious – unlike Lucy who actually _liked_ to pass her classes. "I-I didn't really have an exciting summer, Professor. We mostly stayed home and worked on our house and garden. We _did_ take a two week stay in France. And I also had Tom come and stay for a bit, just like always."

Since Tom lived in an orphanage – for as long as he could remember – her parents had let him come spend some part of the summer with them, ever since Lucy had met him. This, however, was something her parents were becoming a little wary of. She knew they liked Tom, they just found him… _strange_. As did most.

Dumbledore's look fell onto the boy who sat beside her. He still held his noble smile, but the light in his eyes seemed to dim slightly. Tom sat up a little higher in his seat, holding his teachers gaze without even flinching. In Lucy's opinion Dumbledore had always seemed curious of Tom. It was probably because he had been the one who had gone to the orphanage, when Tom he was eleven, and told him all about being a wizard. Without Dumbledore, Tom Riddle would never have come to Hogwarts and would have lived a muggle life until the day he died. It didn't seem like there was animosity between them, it was something more like caution. They always treaded lightly when around each other.

The teacher moved his gaze from Riddle and the lights immediately came back on in his eyes. "Well, that sounds like a _very good_ time to me! I'm glad to know that some of you had a great vacation. But, now we _must_ get back in to the routine of school work. The first practical thing we shall be doing, by late September, is turning dinner plates into _mushrooms_. But first, I would like to review a bit of the old theory and spells before we jump into any of the new stuff."

Dumbledore turned to the giant blackboard and flicked his wand. Chalk words began to form on the board, and the sound of quills scratching on parchment filled room. Lucy was quick to join them, making sure she had accurate and neat notes. She always tried to be a top student; to stay organized and on top of things – especially knowing that most of the classes were hard:

 _Remember the a – v – w – c – Z pattern_

 _Wand left – wand right_

 _Body Formula of Third-Conductor Spells_

She looked down at her notes with pride. She did remember the standard transfiguration formula, which was always a good place to start. Tom tore off a sheet of parchment and scribbled something on it, sliding it to her conspicuously. Lucy tried not to chuckle – passing notes was definitely a first year thing. She glanced down at Tom's neat scroll on the thick paper.

 _I need to do some research later in the library. Most likely around dinner. Do you care to join me?_

She frowned, looking up at him in confusion, but he simply shook his head and nodded in the direction of his note. Lucy sighed tiredly, dipping her quill in her inkpot. _Research?_ For what? _We've barely started classes and there haven't been any assignments yet._

Tom's lips twisted down, as he reached over for a reply. _I_ know _that. It's research of my own._

 _For_ what _?_

 _You're too curious for your own good. One day, that will get you into trouble._

 _Tom._

He let out a sigh of annoyance. _Some research on Slytherin and the likes. Just for reference. Like I said, I feel like I'm greater than most._

Lucy raised her eyebrows in surprise. Why was she beginning to feel cold and uneasy? _What, you think your related to Salazar (his parents must have really hated him) Slytherin? Be real Tom._

 _I am being real. I just have an inkling. Now, will you join me or not? Neither of us have time for this, we've already missed half a page of notes._

Lucy looked up and cursed under her breath. As more notes were being written, the ones at the top were being erased by a levitating chalk-eraser – making room for more. She would have to ask one of her friends for their copy so that she could catch up. She looked back down at the words she had exchanged with Tom. He really was convinced that he was almost better than everyone else – then again, her friends and she had never given him a reason not to think that. She dipped her quill in ink and hovered over the parchment, deciding on what she wanted to do.

Tom cleared his throat impatiently, and she bent over the note to reply.

 _I'll meet you there during dinner. I'll get us our food first._

Tom didn't need to write back. The gleaming grin on his face said it all.

* * *

Lucy could barely maneuver around the tables and chairs in the library, trying to walk slowly as she juggled two plates and two cups of pumpkin juice in her arms. She caught site of Tom at the back of the library, near the Restricted Section, pouring over a huge volume which she guessed was about Salazar Slytherin. He looked up as she came beside him, but made no move to help her as she struggled to put their dinner on the table.

" _Thanks for the help_ ," she said dryly, slumping into the chair opposite him, exhausted.

Tom looked at her without any interest. "You seemed to be doing fine on your own."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him and took a big gulp of her pumpkin juice. "When did you become so… _so_ …" Tom raised his eyebrow in anticipation. " _So, selfish_?" She immediately regretted saying it, but knew there was nothing to be done now.

The silence settled on their table just like the dust that danced through a beam of setting sunlight. Tom's face remained calm and collected, and Lucy felt cold. She knew she had probably paled considerably, and felt both apologetic and scared.

" _Shit… shit_ , I'm sorry Tom. I didn't mean it."

Tom merely shrugged and looked back down at the book he was reading. "Oh, it doesn't matter Lucy. I _am_ a very selfish individual. Now, shall you grab a book and help me? I'm reading one on Slytherin himself. But maybe you can find one on genealogy."

"Sure To- er, I mean, Lord Voldemort." He smiled ruefully at that, and she got up to go search the shelves. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she had chills. His reaction to her insult was not uncommon to Lucy. Tom Riddle had always been a calm and collected individual. He always accepted apologies – or most, anyways. And never seemed _too_ bothered when someone slipped up, like she had done.

She ran her finger over an interesting title:

 ** _Genealogy of the Oldest Wizarding Families – Volume I – A-M_**

She pulled it off the shelf and almost slopped because of the weight. She hauled it over to the table, which shuddered under its heftiness Tom raised his eyebrows in amazement, his mouth forming an O of surprise.

Lucy grinned. "Let's start here."


End file.
